UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili has confirmed his upcoming fight against Sean O’Malley at UFC 316 is definitely happening, stating a recent toe injury will not affect his performance or preparedness.
The champion recently posted a video showing his right pinky toe was swollen following a training session. In the video, he lightheartedly blamed a teammate for the injury, jokingly asking, “Why you break my toe?” While Dvalishvili also humorously mentioned he`d “just cut off the toe” if necessary, he expressed surprise on Thursday regarding the significant attention the post garnered.
Speaking to reporters during a media scrum at Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas, Dvalishvili remarked, “I was surprised at how much reaction there was from people reacting. Everybody was like [freaking out]. Guys, it’s nothing. Really, it’s nothing.”
The reason for the widespread concern likely stems from a somewhat similar situation that occurred before Dvalishvili’s first title bout against O’Malley last September. Weeks prior to that event, Dvalishvili shared a photo of a nasty cut he suffered while training. This led UFC CEO Dana White to call him “next-level stupid” for posting it publicly, even though the cut didn`t actually jeopardize the fight. White criticized Dvalishvili for making the injury news public in the first place.
This time around, Dana White has not publicly commented on Dvalishvili’s decision to reveal his toe injury ahead of the second fight against O’Malley, but it`s probable his reaction would be similar to the previous incident.
Dvalishvili took a moment to display his foot, demonstrating that his toe was already looking better and emphasizing that he never expected the injury to truly impact his abilities.
“As you guys see, no more black and blue, still a little fat but it’s good,” Dvalishvili stated. “As you see, I’m walking. It’s a little pinky toe, it won’t be any problem. … like I said, I have nine other toes. I’m good.”
Evidently, Dvalishvili is not concerned about the toe issue and appears more than ready for his upcoming title defense.
Dvalishvili vs. O’Malley 2 is scheduled to headline UFC 316 on June 7th at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The event’s co-main fight is set to be women`s bantamweight champion Julianna Peña defending her belt against Kayla Harrison.
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